Restaurant association lacks sense of humor

The National Restaurant Association has gotten its nose all out of joint about a TV commercial for Nationwide Mutual Insurance that’s supposed to air during the Super Bowl. As has been widely reported, the ad, part of the company’s “Life comes at you fast” campaign, stars Kevin Federline, ex-Mr. Britney Spears, who is depicted as working in a fast-food restaurant after losing his meal ticket pop-princess wife.

“(S)uch an ad … would give the impression that working in a restaurant is demeaning and unpleasant,” complains the NRA president and CEO, who surely would want his name mentioned.

Really, now. Even someone as thin-skinned as the NRA boss apparently is must understand that most people would concur that working in a restaurant is a bit of a come-down from being married to Britney Spears. (Me, I think it would be an improvement.)

The complete letter, sent to to Nationwide’s top honcho and distributed today to news media, is after the jump, if you can bear all 363 self-righteous words of it.

The letter:

I am writing to express serious concerns regarding reports of a television commercial by Nationwide that will be aired during Super Bowl XLI on Sunday, February 4, 2007.

It has been reported in the media that the ad makes an interpretation of Nationwide’s Life Comes at You Fast campaign concept. It features musician Kevin Federline going from being a rapper to working in a “fast food” restaurant. We hope that these reports are inaccurate and that Nationwide will not be airing such an ad that would give the impression that working in a restaurant is demeaning and unpleasant. An ad such as this would be a strong and a direct insult to the 12.8 million Americans who work in the restaurant industry.

The restaurant industry is a wonderful place to work — for a year or for a career. The nation’s 935,000 restaurants, collectively, are one of the nation’s largest private sector employers, and provide multiple opportunities for career advancement and a path to the American Dream of owning one’s own business.

Nine out of 10 salaried restaurant employees started as hourly staff, and most restaurateurs started in entry-level jobs, including as a cook, server and bus person. Restaurants provide the first job opportunity for more than three out of 10 Americans, and nearly half of all adults have worked in the restaurant industry at some point in their lives. In addition, it is important to note that one out of six new jobs in the economy is in eating-and-drinking establishments.

Developing creative concepts that accomplish the marketing strategies for a product should not require denigrating another industry. Should an ad of this nature run during the Super Bowl, we will make sure that our membership — many of whom are customers of Nationwide — know the negative implications this ad portrays of the restaurant industry.

The restaurant-and-foodservice industry is committed to professionalism and serves as the cornerstone of our economy, rewarding career and employment opportunities and community involvement. I hope that in future advertisements, you will portray restaurants and their employees more accurately. Thank you for your consideration.